Barriers
by Hamsterlover6
Summary: Anna is a princess in love with a older married man.
1. Chapter 1

Anna stood nervously at the door. She knew her father was inside and expecting her. She took deep breath but it didn't give her any confidence. The doors swung open and she entered. Her father sat there at his desk glaring at his computer screen. As King he had always carried the world on his shoulders and even as a little girl she had always been afraid of him. "dad" she whispered, "yes" he replied not taking his eyes of a computer. "I love someone" she stammered. "Who" "Mr Bates". "Wonderful I was secretly hoping the two of you would get together, his parents will be delighted" her heart dropped from her chest to her stomach. "Dad I love Christopher's father". The King looked at her shocked "Anna, your a princess even if you were a normal girl it would be impossible. He's a married man and he is old enough to be your father." Anna turned and ran to her room.

Anna put her head round the door Vera was out. She breathed a sigh of relief, it didn't seem fair that she still needed a governess none of her sisters still had one and she was sixteen. Every time she tried to broach the subject her father always put it off and lashed out at her. Anna didn't understand why although it probably had something to do with the fact Vera stayed out most night and came home drunk. Mr Bates probably wanted to divorce her. On cue Mr Bates entered "hello Anna, is Vera here." Anna shook her head. "What did your father say?" "No" "he is right Anna you can do better, marry a courtier with a title a estate the size of Wales". "But I want to marry you. Anna, think about it" then he left.

Vera entered the room. She looked around and saw Anna. Anger flared in her eyes and picked up a empty bottle. Anna sat there petrified. She could smell alcohol on Vera's breath. Everything started spinning and then she hit the floor with a thud.

Anna woke up everything seemed very blurry. She could hear doctor Clarkson talking to Vera. "She's concussed just keep her in bed for a few days and she'll be fine, well done for finding her". Anna sat up slowly to see the doctor leaving. "You're awake" Vera said "how did you find out " Anna asked. "I was waiting for your father in his private apartments and heard your entire conversation. Consider that as warning sign"she growled " stay out of my life and I won't hurt you". Then she got up and left.

Anna lay there she knew she had to escape.


	2. Chapter 2

Anna wiped the bar counter. A lot had happened in the last six months. She had taken Vera's warning and fled. The papers were full of stories about her. She was either dancing at the Royal opera house or engaged to the son of a French baker. She prayed no one recognised her every night. Anna was quite pleased with the work she had done. Her skin was orange with spray tan, she had lost so much weight that she looked like skeleton and she had cut and dyed her hair.  
She still flinched when she heard her old name. She had to remind herself that she was now Rebecca Barnes. She entered the yellowing kitchen Tony was sitting at the table reading a newspaper. He had been so kind to her offering her somewhere to live and a job at his pub. "Rebecca" he murmured "I have a question for you". Slowly she watched as he bought out a small square red box "will you marry me?" This was not what Anna was expecting, she thought about it a different life free from Vera and her father and said "yes".

One year later she found herself in the delivery room. "It's a little girl" the chirpy midwife announced. "Now we just need to take a few details do you have an ID" "um, I left it at home" she whispered her heart pounding "ok, can your husband go and get it". "I'll go and get it Rebecca, where is it." Anna panicked "in the top draw." Tony placed the child in a cot and he and the midwife left. Anna wanted to cry, she grabbed her stuff kissed her daughter and ran.

The King sat at his desk, the detective had said that they had found something and where bringing it up. The detective entered holding a basket. "Well" the King inquired "have you found my daughter". The detective hesitated "we have found your granddaughter, she was abandoned in a delivery room, we have done DNA tests it's a match ". The King turned puce and choked "thank you, you may go".

Vera entered to find the King staring at a large wicker basket. "Who's is this" she said picking the child up. "Anna's" the King said and collapsed into his desk. "I can look after it" Vera said brightly and put her arms round the King. "This is going perfectly" Vera thought to herself. 


	3. Chapter 3

Anna ran heart pounding. She stopped, checked her handbag and pulled her coat around her. She was aware that she look strange in a nightdress. "Are you alright" Anna looked up and saw a face she knew so well. "Mr Bates" she said and then burst into tears. "Let's go somewhere private" he said kindly.

They sat down on a bench in a secluded corner of the park. "Come back Anna" he asked her. "I've been to see about getting a divorce from Vera she has been unfaithful". Anna burst into tears again and whispered "I'm sorry". "Why" he asked putting his arm round her. "I married someone else". "Oh Anna, why" "I wanted to escape". Darkness was fast approaching and Anna had begun to shiver. "Come on" he said " let's go I'll take you to my hotel room".

Anna lay in the bath, the fake tan flooding out around her. She grabbed a towel cursing as it came away a matted orange. She stepped out of the bathroom into the bedroom. Bates was sitting at the end of the bed "I'm afraid I could only get a double bed." He spoke as if nothing had happened "and I bought you some clothes seeing as you only have your nightdress.

Silently Anna got changed and climbed into bed. "I need to sleep" she said and rolled over and lay there staring at the wall. In the middle of the night Bates woke to hear Anna sobbing. "Anna" he whispered. Anna turned to face him. In the blue light she looked like as fragile as china.  
"I feel so bad leaving her" Anna sniffed. "Who?" Mr Bates said his heart pounding. "My daughter, she's only a day old." Bates pulled her close to him. "I don't know what to do". "I'll tell you what to do" Bates said "you come back home with me and I will stand by you for everything."

Vera stood by the window watching a car pulled up and her husband helped a shaky, paper woman out of the car. "So Anna had returned."


	4. Chapter 4

Christopher sat at the kitchen table, he was one of those boys who had been spoiled and thought he deserved it. His mother paced about in front of him. "It's very simple, Christopher. You just have to marry Anna." "I don't want to, it's bad enough with her brat screaming it's head off without her moping around." Christopher complained. "It's only in name" Vera explained "you can leave the child in a nursery miles away and you don't have to see Anna. Also" she added "you would become Duke of London." "Alright I'll do it." Christopher said "but, she never says yes, I asked her twice." "Trust me" Vera said.

Anna lay in bed. As soon as she had set foot on the ground, her sisters concerned by her thinness had whisked to her room and told her to rest. She hadn't had a chance to see her father. All she knew was that her daughter was here. She didn't even know what her child looked like. The door swung open. Anna sat bolt upright. "Hello Anna" Vera said her voice dripping honey "good to see your back". Anna felt frozen stiff. "Now once your better you need to start getting ready for your wedding, may I offer my congratulations". "Wedding ?" Anna asked. "To Christopher." Vera replied. "What, no I am already married," Anna protested. "You married Mr Barlow under a false name so your marriage was never valid" Vera told her smartly. "But I don't want to get married" Anna complained. "Let me tell you this" Vera said menacingly " The social workers have decided that you aren't stable enough to look after a child, unless you settle down and get married you will never see your daughter again" "but I am marrying Mr Bates" "who says I will consent to a divorce" saying that Vera turned on her heel and slammed the door.

Crowds of people surged outside the church, everyone was excited, a national holiday had been declared and the streets had been closed. The groom sauntered up the steps milking the applause. The King stood at the entrance waiting for his daughter. The crowd waited. An hour later it was obvious that the bride had disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

Anna looked around the house was high up in the Scottish mountains it was safe. Bates put his arm round her and she held Helena close to her chest. She had been doubtful about running away again, but watching Christopher flaunt his new title and try on uniforms had convinced her that she mustn't marry him. When Bates had offered to come with her and provide food and shelter she had excepted. After that Mr Bates had spent ages sending Anna and the baby's things up and finalising their plans.  
That morning Anna had dismissed her bridesmaids and quickly changed into the most normal clothes she had, grabbed her baby and left via the fire escape. Now she was safe.

Christopher Bates stood in the hall of his winter home. It was technically his father's house but Christopher considered it his. Mr Bates and Anna came down the stairs. Christopher puffed out his chest "Hello father, Anna I am prepared to forgive you for this escapade if you come back with me now." He then continued with a monologue how he was ashamed of his father and how he thought he was being very benevolent towards Anna considering the circumstances." Anna and Bates listened to the lecture and then Anna said "No I'm not coming back with you, I can make my own choices."  
Christopher slammed the doors and left.

A week later Anna was visited by her father. She invited him into the sitting room and made him coffee, then she sat down next to him and said "have you come to bring me back". The king said "No in these last few days I have realised a lot. Let me tell you about myself. "I was raised in a very similar way to you and your sisters, at eighteen I was expected to marry, my father elected an eligible young woman, I didn't like her I found her dull and unanimated but I was too weak in spirit to fight him. I married her I did my duty and produced children, then my father died I became King. I found that people were scared of me and I finally felt in control. Then I realised I had never been in love. So I divorced your mother and then took on an endless string of mistresses. I thought that it would make me happy but I found it was too late." "What is your message?" Anna asked. "All I am saying is if this is what you want, you can have it." "What about Vera" Bates said appearing in the doorway. "Think I have something you would like even better".


End file.
